That's Life
by WingedWolf
Summary: Everyone has an adventure at Hogwarts. An adventure in love, in life, or in some special cases, man-eating eggplants. Just ask Bill. Charlie. Percy. Being the older Weasley was never an easy task...
1. Prologue: Percy

A/N: Idea came to me on a whim. I liked it so I went with it. There aren't enough stories about the older Weasley's anyway. Here is the product. If you read, you must review. Or you will be assimilated. Resistance is futile… sorry, Star Trek stuff gets stuck in my head.

That's Life

****

Prologue: Percy

"BUT I DON'T WANT ANOTHER BROTHER! 'SPECIALLY NOT TWO!!" Percy screamed. "I DON'T WANT 'EM, I DON'T WANT' EM!" The boy yelled and wailed and finally threw himself on the ground, hammering his fists into the floor and kicking his legs.

Arthur Weasley tried to reason with his son. "We've been over this and over this Percy. They're coming in April-"

"NO!! NO THEY AREN'T!! I WON'T LET THEM!!" He said, still flailing like a psychopath.

Little Bill Weasley looked at his younger brother with a grimace of disappointment. "I hope he doesn't get his letter. He'll never last a day at Hogwarts acting like that," Bill said to Charlie. The stouter brother nodded in agreement and crammed a chocolate frog in his mouth, watching the fun unfold. Percy was the smartest two-year-old he'd ever seen, but he was the most annoying thing to befall the wizarding world.

"You can't control it, Percy, honey, the babies are already on their way," Molly Weasley insisted, trying to assuage her son. Percy screamed louder then ever.

"DON'T WANT 'EM!!" He insisted loudly. "DON'T!! WANT!!" Instead of continuing to pummel floor, the two-year old sprung up and raced around, knocking over everything that was accessible to him. "NO MORE BROTHERS!!" He shouted and ran up the stairs.

Bill was grateful that'd he'd locked his door, but Charlie hadn't. The soon-to-be first year student at Hogwarts was too preoccupied unwrapping his chocolate to notice that the wand in Percy's hand was his own. By the time he did, large china plates were exploding and Percy was prodding his father in the leg.

"MOLLY! MOLLY, PERCY'S GOT- OW, PERCE!" Arthur clutched his calf, which was quickly swelling to the size of the family's grandfather clock. "Where did you get that, Perce? OW! Come on, now!!"

Bill sprinted to his room, fumbling around for a muggle thing called a key. "Stupid muggles," He whispered before jumping inside and shutting the door. "Jesus, I live in a mad house." He was grateful it was HIS mad house, and not someone else's. He doubted anybody except a natural-born Weasley would be able to handle it.

As if just to prove his point, his mother's voice shook the floor. "CHARLES WEASLEY, YOU GET THIS WAND FROM YOUR BROTHER THIS INSTANT!!"

There was a loud crash, letting the eldest Weasley child know Percy had knocked over the family clock... again.

"I can't get it from him, mum!!" He heard Charlie yell. Another crash. 

"There goes the Christmas tree," Bill said to himself.

"WILLIAM! GET OUT OF YOUR ROOM AND HELP HIM!!" Molly yelled, drowning out even Percy's cries.

The boy ruffled his short hair and reluctantly trudged over to the door. He hated his hair so clipped, and would always grow it out when he reached Hogwarts, but at home, his mother had insisted on having it cut.

The situation downstairs was very much like a mad house. Percy was still howling, rattling the very construct the house was built on with iron lungs that he had to have gotten from his mother. Arthur Weasley lay on the floor, his leg no longer growing but big enough to take up all the space on a park bench. Charlie's wand appeared to have been used against him. Every time he spoke, bright purple bubbles flew up out of his mouth, he hiccuped twice, and then fell on the floor. Molly ran after Percy, shooting every freezing charm she knew at him, and growling while he dodged every last one. Percy, giggling and screaming simultaneously, was now just enjoying the game of Run From Your Family Members. 

Bill sighed and pulled a handful Percy's favorite candy from a high drawer. "Hey Percy, you want some Bertie Botts?"

It worked. The little boy was so ecstatic he dropped the wand and came racing over, tackling his older brother to the ground and eating the candy right from Bill's hand.

"Oh, Billy, did you have to give him candy before dinner?" Molly said regrettably, picking up Charlie's wand and handing it to him with a look of venom. "I'll get to you in a moment, dear," She said, looking hopelessly at her husband, collapsed on the ground.

Bill picked Percy up and sat him outside. "Come on, Perce, when's the last time you had a good gnome hunt?" Chasing gnomes usually kept the excitable boy busy and kept gnomes out of the garden for at least a month.

Charlie couldn't help but giggle as his brother sauntered back in with the finesse of someone who knew they'd just handled a precarious situation.

Arthur was smiling at his son with pride, but Molly was fussing already. "Go help Charlie make dinner, won't you, dear? I'll be able to get most of this cleaned up after you leave tomorrow." She gestured to the ruined house.

"Yes, mum," said Bill sulkily, his triumph being overlooked. No matter, he'd go back to Hogwarts, have a friend grow his hair back out overnight, and enjoy his last year as the only Weasley there. Charlie would be joining him next year and Percy a few years later. Then with the twins on the way... "_Just get me back to Hogwarts..._"

*!*!*!*!*

"Don't worry, mum. Percy isn't all that bad."

Charlie rolled his eyes and put off eating his fifth chocolate frog to say, "Easy for you to say. You get a vacation from him often enough." The look on his mother's face let him know she was inclined to agree. He couldn't really blame her, Percy was wriggling in her arms, reaching desperately out for Charlie's chocolate.

Bill folded his arms. "You'll behave while I'm gone, won't ya, Perce?"

Percy nodded emphatically. "Damn straight."

Charlie blushed and tried to hide his face behind his candy, but Percy snatched it from him.

"Goodbye, dear," Molly said through clenched teeth. Bill was exceedingly glad he wasn't Charlie as he dashed onto platform nine and three quarters, and out of his mother's death glare.


	2. Bill's Year: pt. 1

Part One: Bill's Year

  
  


The scarlet trained pulled into the Hogwarts station, bearing red-faced children wearing new robes they received over the Christmas holiday. Bill beamed, showing off HIS new robes also. They weren't as nice as the ones he got last year, but that was always the way. Whenever more children came, less money came with it. Still, he was at Hogwarts again, so nothing else could bother him. Well, nothing except-

  
  


"Out of the way, Gryfinndor."

  
  


Before Bill even had a chance to retort, he lay flat on his face, sitting up to see he receding figures of Lucius Malfoy and his band of cronies.

  
  


"Wankers," He mumbled.

  
  


"Couldn't have said it better myself," said a warm, cheerful voice. A hand extended and Bill gladly took it, feeling the strength of years of Quidditch games behind it. He guessed who it was. James Potter was he only person who made Bill wish he were older.

  
  


"'Lo James," Bill couldn't help but smile. He was the only one of his year on first-name speaking terms with the famous Marauder. "How was your break?"

  
  


"Great," He grinned, nodding at Lily.

  
  


"Awwww, James. Insinuating such things to a second year? You should be ashamed. OY, LILY! You know James just did?"

  
  


"SIRIUS!"

  
  


Bill shook his head while James raced after his best friend, Sirius Black. They would be awhile and the Weasley felt like a nap before dinner began. It was the Marauders and Lily's last year. Bill couldn't imagine Hogwarts life without those five, but he expected to be busy with Charlie next year, at any rate.

  
  


"HEY, BILL! HOW'RE YA?"

  
  


A large hand fwapped him on the back, nearly sending him sprawling to the ground for the second time that day.

  
  


"Hello, Hagrid." He replied, trying to gasp some air back into his lungs. Though he was tall for his age, Bill almost had to stare straight up to look Hagrid in the eye. The Hogwarts groundkeeper had to have been half-giant, in height and strength.

  
  


"How's yer little brother?"

  
  


"Charlie, Percy, or the ones that haven't been born yet?"

  
  


At that point, it became apparent that Hagrid had forgotten about Percy and the fact that Molly Weasley was pregnant again. "Er, um... Well, I'd..."

  
  


"It's alright, Hagrid, my family's doing just fine."

  
  


"Good, good. Well, I've got work ter do, Bill, so I'll be seein' ya." Hagrid shuffled, trying not to appear embarrassed as he was.

  
  


Bill nodded and let the big man go on his way. He didn't expect anyone to keep track of all his family members. Not even HE could do that.

  
  


*!*!*!*!*

  
  


Bill was pleased to find his dormitory exactly as he'd left it. Unable to resist the urge, he leapt onto his four poster bed and started jumping, something he would've been killed for at home. After a good while, nap all but forgotten, he finally tired and lay back down, staring at the familiar ceiling. 

  
  


"Tsk, tsk, William. What would your mother say?"

  
  


A rush of excitement ran through the red-haired boy and he jumped up from the bed. A glowing, ebony-haired girl with rosy cheeks and a glint of mischief in her eyes stood in the door way of dormitory. It was Kathy Johnson, one of Bill's two best friends. He'd met her in his first year and they clicked immediately. She had a sibling, also, and was usually the first person he ran to when he needed to grow his hair out overnight. At the moment, she was shaking her own loose, long hair, hair that wouldn't behave it you attacked it with every brush and comb in the world.

  
  


"Well, my mother's not here, is she?" Bill grinned. "You better get out, Kathy, someone'll catch you."

  
  


"Ooh, catch me! I'm shaking in my Quidditch robes." She was indeed wearing Quidditch robes, James was probably running her into the ground with practice. Although she had just gotten onto the team this year, Kathy was good. However, to beat Slytherin, she had to avoid their often blatant cheating. That took practice. A lot of practice. "You'd better get out, or you'll miss dinner."

  
  


The gangly boy got the hint and leapt up from bed and followed her to the common room. "How was your break?"

  
  


"Gee, I don't know. If you asked my parents, they wouldn't even notice I came home, they're so caught up with that damned baby." She snarled, pulling off her robes to reveal muggle clothing underneath.

  
  


Bill looked at her, jealously. Secretly, he thought muggles dressed a lot better than wizards. "You're not wearing that to the Hall, are you?"

  
  


"'Course not. Wait here." She dashed back down moments later, wearing her Gryfinndor robes, but fighting a frown. "There. I still like my Aerosmith shirt better."

  
  


"You're what?"

  
  


"Aerosmith. It's a muggle band that... Nevermind."

  
  


Confused, Bill simply changed the subject. Unfortunately, he changed it to the wrong thing. "What's the baby's name?"

  
  


"What do you care?" She snapped back, angrily. Realizing Bill was just making conversation, she mumbled a reply rather than apologize for barking at him. "Angelina, okay? Can we not talk about her? She hasn't been here three months and already I'm starting to plot her sudden disappearance."

  
  


*!*!*!*!*

  
  


The Great Hall was full of students by the time the two Gryfinndors arrived. The golden plates were comfortingly clean and everyone was looking around anxiously for the feast to start. 

  
  


Headmaster Dumbledore sat at the front of the professor's table, gray eyes glittering behind crescent spectacles. The teacher's around him tried to match his calm demeanor, but were obviously filled with worry and apprehension. "Before we begin, I have a few announcements I would like to make. Our last caretaker, Mr. Tiplan, made a very strong decision to leave his job at Hogwarts and return to his family over this Christmas holiday."

  
  


Kathy gave an involuntary shudder as she and Bill sat down. "His family was attacked by... You-Know-Who," She whispered. "I met up with him just before he left. Was pale as death." She fell quiet as Dumbledore spoke again.

  
  


"We were lucky enough to find his replacement before the holidays were over. Please welcome Mr. Argus Filch and treat him with the same respect you treat the rest of the staff."

  
  


A torn, tattered-looking man arose from his chair at the end of the table. He was relatively young, clean-shaved, but with the meanest eyes. There was a fair amount of appluase, but at a glare from the new caretaker, it died down quickly. In his arms was cat, a gray tabby with scruffy fur and powerful yellow eyes that seemed to match Filch's.

  
  


"Looks like Mynx and Jynx are gonna have a new playmate," Bill muttered to Kathy. Her cats, Mynx, the orange tabby, and Jynx, the calico, were some of the only cats in the school. Dark times had come upon the wizarding world and owls were vital. Kathy'd brought back a Great Horned owl her second year, naming it Quinn. Though she spoiled her cats, she spoiled Quinn more for some reason that Bill couldn't figure out.

  
  


"Best keep Mynx away from her. I don't suspect he's the sort that likes kittens. Rather not have him after my cats."

  
  


"Oh, that's grand, i'n't it?" A new voice smiled. "Let the caretaker get tormented all he likes, but woe betide us if anything happens to your precious cats."'

  
  


"Shove it, Benji," said Kathy politely, sipping her pumpkin juice that had appeared after Dumbledore let the feast begin.

  
  


Benji nodded. "Aye, ma'am." He saluted her, sending his short, sandy hair into disarray, before plopping down next to Bill. "How was your Christmas, mate?"

  
  


"Could've been better without my brother smashing everything," Bill replied.

  
  


"Ah, well, that's always the way. At least You-Know-Who's not after ya."

  
  


"BENJI!" Kathy choked on her chicken, then whacked Benji straight across the mouth.

  
  


"OW! What was that for?"

  
  


"For joking about something like that! It's not funny, Benj!"

  
  


Bill shuddered. It really wasn't funny. Despite the cheerfulness of the students, there was an obvious undertone of fear and uncertainty. Voldemort was on the rise and no one knew who was next.

  
  


Benji rubbed his jaw where she slapped him. "Sorry, just trying to lighten the mood."

  
  


"Oh and you did SUCH a nice job of it." Kathy snapped. Anything having to do with Voldemort made her nervous. Truth be told, Voldemort made everyone else more than nervous. Kathy was one of the souls who got antsy when he was mentioned. Some others might fly off the handle into full-blown panic.

  
  


"Oh, lay off, Kath. I'm just jokin', you know me."

  
  


She looked like she wanted to say "Unfortunately,", but let it go. "Yeah, I know. Sorry."

  
  


Bill smiled and swallowed a bite of sweet potato. "Come guys, it's our first day back from holiday. Let's celebrate."

  
  


Kathy brightened. "With what? A food fight? Stink pellets in the library?"

  
  


Benji jumped in. "Let Jynx loose in the owlery?" 

  
  


"Umm..." Bill scratched at his short hair. "I was thinking something a bit less destructive. You up for a game of Quidditch?"

  
  


"Isn't that cute? The weasel thinks he can play Quidditch," hissed an amused voice. It belonged to a pale-faced boy, a face consisting of cunning and venom, with thin, pink lips and dark hair. "And how would you afford the broom, Weasel? Your father hardly makes enough to to buy a twig off a Nimbus."

  
  


Kathy immediately dug her nails into her palms. "Eat rat dung, you sewer-dwelling slug." Bill stopped her. She had been in more fists fights that year than Sirius Black, which was a feat not easily done.

  
  


The boy, Nickolas Nosferatu, showed no signs of letting up. "What's the matter, Weasel? Why not let me mop the floor with your little-"

  
  


"Petrificus Totalus." murmured Benji, rather lazily. "For shame, Vampy," The term was actually their NICE name for Nick. "Ya'd think by now he'd of realized there was three of us, eh?"

  
  


Kathy snickered and tapped Nick on the shoulder, sending him face first, onto the floor. The three slunk out just as a nearby Slytherin noticed his petrified comrade on the floor.


	3. Bill's Year: pt 2

(A/N: Here you go! I've come out of my writer's block for now.)  
  
"Checkmate," muttered Kathy calmly.  
  
Benji jumped up dramatically, his face red with frustration. "Bloody hell, how do you DO that?"  
  
"It's all in the strategy, Benjamin," she grinned, scratching Jynx affectionately behind the ears.  
  
"Strategy my arse..." he mumbled. "Where's your other hellraiser?" He asked, switching subjects as he packed up his board.  
  
Kathy looked around with an unconcerned expression. "He's someplace or other," she finally settled on. "How's your hair, Bill?"  
  
A mop of red hair came flying down the stairway from the boys' dormitories and enveloped the girl in a hug. "I love you, Kath, you know that? I really do."  
  
"Oh, get off me, you big idiot. I just grew your hair back out, I didn't save your life."  
  
"Same difference," he replied, tying his hair back into a ponytail. "Did you beat Benji again? He seems in a bad mood."  
  
"She didn't beat me! She just won...AGAIN."  
  
After he decided he couldn't stand Kathy's smug smile, Benji offered to get the brooms and they all headed out to the Quidditch fields.  
  
"Can we take the all balls out?" Benji asked after he'd gotten the Quaffle. His hand was poised over the latch for the Bludgers.  
  
Kathy shook her head. "No, if this isn't a real practice, Captain James says leave 'em in."  
  
"You don't have to call him Captain all the time, Kathy! He's not here!"  
  
She nodded. "But I have to stay in the habit, because it annoys the hell out of him."  
  
Benji's jaw dropped and he threw the Quaffle as hard as he could at Kathy's head. She caught it and laughed. It wasn't that she called him Captain, it was that she didn't call him "Mr. Potter, sir," like Benji often did. He was an inch away from hero-worshipping James Potter, and he would be if that job hadn't been taken by Peter Pettigrew.  
  
Kathy looked up at the sky. "We can't stay out long, you guys. Once it gets dark we have to-"  
  
"SHH!" Bill ordered. Small whispers were floating from the Forbidden Forest. Whispers made by familiar voices.  
  
"Oh, Bill, shut up. It's just the Marauders, for pity's sake. They're ALWAYS going into the Forbidden Forest."  
  
He could've smacked himself for not realizing it, but it was true.  
  
"I swear, you'd think they like it there. Catch, Bill."  
  
"Catch Bill?" Benji asked.  
  
"The Quaffle, you twat."  
  
"Ms. JOHNSON!" That was most definitely a Professor McGonagall screech. Bill wondered slightly if she had perfected it while going to school at Hogwarts.  
  
"Bugger," said Kathy, swooping towards the ground.  
  
"I sincerely hope you have a plausible reason for you, Mr. Weasley, and Mr. Radcliffe to be out here so late."  
  
"Well, it's not dark yet, Professor, and Bill and Benji were just-"  
  
"I'm afraid dark has nothing to do with it, Ms. Johnson. Once dusk begins, all students are to be inside, if not in their dormitories."  
  
"Guess we didn't get the memo," Kathy muttered. She had always had a bad habit of saying the wrong thing at the wrong time to the wrong person.  
  
(A/N: Before you ask, Benji's name has NOTHING to do with Daniel Radcliffe, got that? NOTHING. I tried all kinds of names, making him the older brother of countless characters, but Benjamin Radcliffe was the only one that sounded right. You know how it is. Plus, I'm already going nastily against canon. As far as we know, Angelina Johnson has no older sister. *slaps self on the hand* For shame...)  
  
*!*!*!*!*  
  
"I hope you're pleased with yourself."  
  
"Oh, shut up, Benji, it's not like you got dentention."  
  
"YES, I DID! We all did!"  
  
"...Oh. Well, it's better than losing points."  
  
"Oh, that's your strategy, is it?"  
  
"Enough, you two!" Bill interjected. "If you act like this around the new caretaker tomorrow night, he'll probably give us even more work than McGonagall assigned."  
  
"Oh, stop, Bill, you worry too much."  
  
The three walked out onto the grounds, moving slowly towards Professor Kettleburn's class. An energetic, impatient man, Kettleburn was more than a little accident prone. Okay, that's being nice. To put it bluntly, people referred to his lessons by injury.  
  
"Were you there for the puffskein bite?"  
  
"No, I had the Knarl thing. He called it ugly and when he tried to stop it from wrecking his yard, it gave him a good stabbing."  
  
"Well, the bite was apparently infected by the time the imp got him next week."  
  
The Gryffindors and the Hufflepuffs usually shared but a change in schedule now found them sharing with Slytherin house. Not a happy couple, you can be sure. Kettleburn appeared not to notice or care about their hostility; he had his own problems. It was not surprising to see him sporting a bandage or sling of some sort. This time he was walking with crutches. And any time Madam Pomfrey needed to administer a Muggle remedy, the injury had to be very nasty indeed.  
  
"Ah, well, class, I'm afraid I had a little accident working with some sixth years on Winged Horses. Kicked my shin bone right through the skin, but I'm fine now."  
  
Bill could not even begin to comprehend how a person could be fine after something like that, but before he could speak up, the Professor went on.  
  
"However, the Headmaster has suggested an easier lesson than last month's Malaclaws," he continued, pretending not to see the collective shudder. Kettleburn had been bitten by one, and had had a week of bad luck...and no one wants to be around a person with bad luck, ESPECIALLY one who has to deal with magical creatures. Bill shook his head to clear the image of the Professor being stung repeatedly by an Australian Billywig.  
  
"So, we will be working with gnomes. Now, gnomes are rather-"  
  
Bill's mind wandered off for a coffee break. His mother had told him all about gnomes as soon as he was old enough to chase them from the garden. She was always looking for ways to put her children to practical use.  
  
"Now, I'm sure most of you have gnomes in your gardens at home--"  
  
"Wow, he should be teaching Divination."  
  
Bill snapped out of it. "Kathy, we've already got detention."  
  
"I noticed."  
  
Kettleburn prattled on. "I'm sure most of you can handle them, just feed them some of those Horklumps, there-"  
  
"Those WHAT?" Benji shrieked. Horrifying images of some terrible animal flashed before his eyes. He had a bad history with animals. Pacifying himself, he turned to look at what the teacher had pointed to...a box of wriggling pink mushrooms?  
  
"What's the matter, Betty, don't like the scary vegatables?" Some random Slytherin remarked.  
  
"Shut your hole, you toad rectum," said Kathy, amid trying not to laugh at Benji and trying to appear fierce at the same time. It didn't work out so well.  
  
"That will be enough, Ms. Johnson. Now, here are your gnomes. They...are, uh..."  
  
Another wretched problem with Kettleburn was that he constantly misplaced his creatures. He had left a few Moke lizards in the Potions dungeons once. Most of them were never found until someone discovered they had shrunk themselves and were living in the cauldrons. He let Hagrid, who was most enthusiastic about it, watch his sneakier animals after that.  
  
"One moment class," and he hobbled off. The class assumed he had them in a cage in his cabin, until he started calling, "Gnomes? Here, gnomes! I have some juicy Horklumps for you..."  
  
The Horklumps, like most creatures, did not enjoy the prospect of being eaten and began to attempt to leave their crate.  
  
"Should we do something?" Benji asked, uncertainly.  
  
"No, let it get interesting first."  
  
That was Kathy's advice on everything. That was why detention followed her like the plague.  
  
  
*!*!*!*!*  
  
"Well, Kath, is it interesting yet?"  
  
"Oh yeah."  
  
Kettleburn found the gnomes...and a boggart he had been holding onto for the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. After it escaped the trunk where he kept it, it ran into the yard with the students, chasing them.  
  
Then it encountered the Horklumps and turned into a gnome. Then it was near impossible for Kettleburn to find the boggart and the gnomes were feasting rabidly on horklumps.  
  
"Now, don't panic, don't pan--OW!"  
  
Kathy looked pleased. "He's hurt. Now it's interesting AND funny."  
  
"Ms. Johnson, would you kindly run into my cabin and--OW! Get my-OW! wand?!"  
  
"Aren't you supposed to have it with you at all times during lessons?"  
  
"NOW, MS. JOHNSON!"  
  
She picked her way through wild gnomes and fleeing Horklumps to the cabin, and disappeared inside. Bill followed, not trusting her alone in a teacher's home.  
  
Kettleburn kept a very cluttered cabin, but at least it was fascinating clutter. Kathy stepped into a utopia of things to touch and Bill sighed.  
  
"Hey, what's that pickled thing?"  
  
"Don't touch it, Kathy."  
  
"Look at this, is it dead?"  
  
"Don't touch it, Kathy."  
  
"Bill, you've got to-"  
  
"Kathy! Just find the chap's wan...what is that?"  
  
It was a small silver box, it fit into Kathy's hand easily. The corners were smooth and there were no decorations on it.  
  
"Odd sort of thing to keep, what could you put in it? Must be a Muggle thing."  
  
"That's not what's wrong, Bill. Look." She held it out for him to see and in one small corner he saw what she was concerned about.  
  
Engraved in that small corner with tiny letters was her name, Katherine Michealla Johnson. It was obviously not a Muggle thing.  
  
"Michealla?"  
  
"Shut up. My parents didn't like the name Michelle."  
  
Bill stifled a laugh and tried to look serious. This was, after all, very weird. "Why does Kettleburn have a silver box with your name on it?"  
  
"I don't know. I'll ask him when I give him--THE WAND!" She snatched it off a dresser and went sprinting outside.  
  
She was a class late and a wand short, it turned out. The class was gone and Kettleburn was locking up the gnomes and the one remaining Horklump, he dropped into the gnome crate. There was a sound of a group of gnomes arguing over who got it, and the Horklump escaped through a crack in the crate. Kathy said nothing.  
  
"Sorry, sir, it was a mess in there."  
  
"Quite all right, Johnson. I had it under control."  
  
She bit down on her lip to keep from making a sarcastic comment. Bill used this as his opportunity to speak up.  
  
"Sir, Kathy found this while she was looking for your wand." He handed over the small box.  
  
Kettleburn looked uninterested. "I don't know what that is, Mr. Weasley, but I'm sure it's of no importance. She can have it if she likes." He tossed it to Bill, got steady on his crutches, picked up his gnomes, and hobbled off.  
  
Kathy looked at the box again. "I don't know about this box, Billy..."  
  
"Just stick it your robes and come on, or we'll be late for class."  



End file.
